Independent Living Communities in Richland, WA

"Bonaventure of Tri-Cities was very nice, newer, and more expensive. It almost had like a hotel environment, so it was kind of a little sterile. They offered amenities, but they only offered two meals a day instead of three. The staff seemed very friendly, but I only went there twice. I thought the rooms were a little bit smaller. Obviously, they were newer, but I thought they were smaller and didn't seem to have as much storage."

"Solstice Senior Living at Kennewick is a very nice facility. They have a very thoughtful layout and design. It helps people feel like they're not just in a retirement facility, they're in a small village. It's a very welcoming environment. They are friendly. They are caring. They want to help you with whatever your loved one needs. They have different areas like the salon, which looks like a little barber shop, and the ice cream shop is a fun little spot to have a treat, so you don't feel like you're trapped in a place you can't leave. You feel like everything you need you can get access to there. We have a couple of people who live there, and they're very happy. It's a nice place to live."

"My dad lived in Parkview Estates for a couple of years. He was in independent living, and we liked the community. There were a lot of activities, the activities were wonderful, and the activity director there was this little ball of energy. Every day, there was something that they could do, maybe because they were more capable because they were so independent. There were card games going on, and they had this hand shuffleboard thing they could do. There was a huge puzzle room, billiards, and pool tables. They could do card games in a card room, and then there were games if you wanted to do that sort of thing. There were little concerts and piano players, too. One of the maintenance men played a guitar and was in a little band, so they'd have the band once a week. There were always lots of activities to do, and I liked that. The food was very basic, and it's kinda hard to say that it wasn't the diet for older people, but it was a little bit on the bland side. My dad had a one-bedroom with a small living room, a bedroom that was about the same size, and a nice-sized bathroom. It had a small kitchen that had a stovetop and a microwave. The housekeepers needed to do a little bit of a better job. They just didn't see all the crumbs under the chair and that sort of thing. Other than that, they just remodeled the place, so it was gorgeous."

"We have already placed my dad into Tri-Cities Retirement Inn. They are really good to him. He has dementia, but he thinks the people are just amazing. He is a picky food person and they make sure that he likes whatever he is going to eat. They make sure he doesn't wander. I can call and ask how my dad is, what's going on and how he is reacting, and they will let me know. With Covid, we're doing the screen visits. They're very upfront and open. The workers that I have met that work there are super nice and really caring. They will tell you how he is doing and what's going on. There are different activities that they do every day, especially at the memory care, to try to keep them thinking. However, at this point, my dad tells me, 'I really don't want to join the activities, but I really enjoy watching.' They try to encourage him to join the activities, he just doesn't want to, but they think that he'll be coming around. They go out of their way to make sure they're comfortable and have everything they need. My dad says he is in love with the food, and he is a very picky eater. They get to choose some things. They kinda know my dad and if he doesn't like it, they could tell without him ever saying it. They'll ask him, 'Well, what do you feel eating tonight?' and they will go and make it for him. They make sure that he is happy eating; that's why he says the food is fantastic and we're happy with it. It's an older facility, but it is really homey. I stopped and talked to the people in the regular section, and they just have a really homey place. My dad is in the lockdown part. Even though it is older, they make you feel comfortable there because of the way everything is set up. To me, it doesn't matter that's in an older facility because they make it more like home. It's a lot of money though because he is in the memory care."

"I visited Riverwalk Estates Gracious Retirement Living. It's a beautiful place. It's a brand new building and everything. It's expensive, though. It is a wonderful place. They were so nice to me. I don't know how I would ever be able to afford something like this, but it's gorgeous. The lady, Brittany, is beautiful, too. She was very, very warm and gracious. The staff members were so gracious. The furniture was all new and everything. The rooms were beautiful. The real selling point for me, because I'm crazy about showers, is that they have a walk-in shower that is just gorgeous. They have a movie theater and a popcorn machine. They have a game room. The staff said they have three meals a day. Across the street is Bob's Burger and all kinds of restaurants and things. The hospital is like two blocks away. It is just fabulous. One should go out there and look at it. The building is gorgeous. They had a little scooter that was sitting there as you walk in the door, and I thought, because the hallways are quite large, you could have fun with scooters."

"I toured Brookdale Canyon Lakes. It was very good and very informative. They told me that if my parents didn't fit in there, they would help with other assistance, and that's all good. The staff worked hard to figure out the cost element. They were very good and very willing to work with us. The staff were excellent. The facilities were very clean, very neat, fresh smelling, and updated. They have a good selection of physical therapy programs including water aerobics, which a lot of them don't have here in the Tri-Cities, so that was very nice, too. They have quite a good selection of facilities. They take you from independent care through end-of-life care. Their willingness to help you go through the different stages, and get you the right paperwork and into the right facility based on your needs is outstanding."